


Crash through the surface (where they can't hurt us)

by Daughter_of_the_TARDIS



Series: Doctor Who AUs [5]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: A Star is Born, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/M, Happy Anniversary, band au, except me, happy anniversary to the married idiots who have taken over my life, song: Shallow, the Band AU that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 16:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18578467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_the_TARDIS/pseuds/Daughter_of_the_TARDIS
Summary: Listening to River Song sing was like watching galaxies rise and empires fall.  It was the beginning of everything and the end of nothing, and it made his heart feel like it was about to explode every time.





	Crash through the surface (where they can't hurt us)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a bit late to the party, but Happy Anniversary to our favorite Time Lords!! I know this is a bit short, sorry about that.

The Doctor was a legend in the music world. He had performed across the globe, for crowds of millions, and had been in more than his fair share of trouble over the years. People who followed him for years remembered his rivalry with the ‘Master of music’, or his This was the man who single-handedly destroyed the Daleks - the hit band of Skaro Records. His was a household name, but to River Song, he would always just be John.

They had met years ago - she couldn’t even really remember when. It was almost like he had always been there. But whatever the case, John Smith - aka the Doctor - and River Song were a match made in musical heaven. She did the writing and he sung the words, everyone knew that. But no one knew what she looked like. It was a deal that they made when he first started to get popular - he could talk about her all that he wanted, but she refused to be photographed. She had always loved her privacy - the ability to do what needed to be done without being followed by a crowd the way he was.

They had been married for years now, and she had been at every one of his shows, just like he had been at every awards ceremony for her. But no one had ever seen her face - it was like she had somehow managed to erase herself from existence. There were conspiracies dedicated to if she really existed or not, much to her amusement. He had asked her multiple times over the years if she had ever thought about going onstage herself, but the answer was always no.

8888

He slipped through the front door, pulling off his sunglasses and oddly smug that he had managed to lose the paparazzi in the frozen foods section. Slipping the groceries onto the kitchen counter, he followed the sound of humming through the house until he found what he was looking for. River sat on the couch in a worn out Torchwood t-shirt - most likely a joke from the lead singer of the band, Jack - her legs tucked under her and hair pulled up on the top of her head. She was scribbling away in her book, and while he knew she was working on a song, he didn’t recognize the melody. Still, he took a few more minutes to watch her before he said anything.

“I don't know why you won't join me onstage.” He said, startling her enough to have her composure slip for just a moment.

“I don't know why you keep asking, sweetie.” She replied, tucking her pen inside of her little blue songbook to mark her page. “We both know that you're the one with a need for the spotlight.” she turned to look at him, eyes catching the light from the fireplace as she tucked a curl back behind her ear, only for it to escape once more. She scowled, and he fought to hide his amusement at the constant battle. “Honestly, it’s like you live to be scandalous.”

He snorted a laugh, blue-grey eyes dancing with amusement. “Which one of us was it that both started and finished a bar brawl last weekend?” He asked, and she flushed.

“That was different and you know it.” She hissed, sending him a dirty look. He crossed the room to sit down next to her, slinging an arm over her shoulders as he pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head

“I’ve watched you shine for years - you’re the stars in the sky.” he said, the uncharacteristic honesty surprising him as much as it brought tears to her eyes. “I just want the rest of the world to see it.”

Still, he wasn’t all that surprised when she shook her head again, rolling her eyes and calling him a ‘nostalgic idiot’.

But the idea was still there in the back of his head, gaining momentum with every passing day. So when she gave him some new sheet music for a two-part duet, he smiled and kissed her in thanks. Then, once she left the room, he called up a friend.

8888

The stadium was packed - a sold out show. There was the typical before show chatter while the roadies finished, and then the lights went up and the stadium exploded. The rest of the band came out first, each one distinctive. Vastra came out first to settle at her piano - the scales tattooed on her arms standing out in the bright light of the spotlights. Bill was next, and he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as she flushed with embarrassment. The girl honestly didn’t seem to realize how adorable she was, much to his relief. The day that she realized that would be the day that he retired. She picked up her drumsticks and sat herself behind her kit, smiling awkwardly at the fans. Next out was Missy, playing to the crowd in a way that only she could. “Yes, hello.” she said, rolling her eyes and doing absolutely nothing to hide the small smile on her face. “Honestly, all that screaming’s a bit rubbish, isn’t it?”

Finally, the Doctor came out, and the crowd lost their minds. With the first glimpse of his signature blue guitar, the crowd went wild, like twenty-thousand machine guns going off at once. It was deafening in the best way. They started in with their first song - The Stars Themselves, always a crowd favorite - and the crowd went wild as Missy started in on her first solo of the night.

He looked over to the side of the stage, and there she was. His River Song - hair a mess of curls and brushing the collar of her leather jacket, floral dress swirling around her as she swayed to the music, a familiar grin on her face.

And he stopped, suddenly realizing what he had to do. “I'm afraid I have to apologise to you all.” The Doctor said suddenly, placing his fingers over his guitar strings and stopping the music with a cringe worthy noise. The rest of his band paused - this wasn't part of the show. Missy was staring at him like he had finally lost the plot - which to be fair, might have happened. “You see, I've been rather terrible, keeping something amazing hidden from you all. But then, I've been told I can be a jealous idiot.”

Even Bill - his unofficial granddaughter, according to both the tabloids and his wife - looked confused. Only Vastra knew exactly what was going on, and she started laying down the backing tracks, her fingers caressing the piano keys with an ease and a skill that he had only ever seen from the green-haired rocker.

He turned his head just enough to see River staring at him, a worried look on her face. Good, he mused. She probably had reason to be worried.

“So I've got a surprise for you all tonight.” He said. A quick smile lit up his face at the approval that his statement was met with, and he waited for the cheers to die down. Once they had, he put his face up to the microphone again, a warm smile on his face as he gestured to the side of the stage. “I'd like to introduce you to an old friend of mine.”

The crowd went wild as he crossed the stage, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before pulling her out onto the stage. She blinked under the bright lights, quickly covering her face with her hands. “I hate you.” She said, trying to keep her face covered as he pulled her onto the stage. John just laughed.

“No you don't.”

As soon as the fans saw her being pulled onstage, whispers and theories broke out. Of course, most of them came to the correct conclusion - that this was the infamous River Song. While they all knew who she was - either from her name on the credits for most of the Doctor's songs, or from listening to the Doctor himself wax poetic about her in interviews - they had never seen her face. River had been writing his songs for years, with the times that they collaborated being the best songs he's ever put out. But she has never shown her face. For the songs that they collaborated on, either Bill or Vastra sung her parts. This time, he was going to make sure that she did her part.

He started the song, keeping his eyes on her to make sure that she wouldn’t run offstage. He had a feeling that she wouldn’t - never run when you’re scared - but it was still nice to watch her stay. His fingers ran over the guitar strings, pressing down on the frets and drawing the melody out of his old bright blue guitar. He had borrowed it when he was a kid, and only recently realized that he never actually gave it back. River had laughed and laughed when he told her. Pulling his thoughts from that train of thought, he put his lips to the microphone and started to sing.

_Tell me something, girl_  
_Are you happy in this modern world?_  
_Or do you need more?_  
_Is there somethin’ else you’re searchin’ for?_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her take a few steps forward, her skirt flowing out around her hips. It was something that made his heart flutter every time, seeing her with instruments. River Song was born to make music, to the point that it was in her name. And then she stepped up to the microphone, and he fell in love all over again.

_Tell me something, boy_  
_Aren't you tired trying to fill that void?_  
_Or do you need more?_  
_Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?_

Listening to River Song sing was like watching galaxies rise and empires fall. It was the beginning of everything and the end of nothing, and it made his heart feel like it was about to explode every time. Even the audience had fallen under her spell in a matter of seconds, all of them listening intently to every word that came out of her mouth. He would have been jealous except he was doing the exact same thing. He could see that she was nervous, but gaining confidence with every note.

_I'm falling_  
_And in the good times I find myself longing_  
_For change_

He would have compared it to a religious experience if he believed in that sort of thing. These days, the only religion that he adhered to was her. She was all the good that was left in the universe, and all the bad. 

_And in the bad times,_  
_I fear myself._

They kept going, trading verses and harmonies like they had been doing it their entire lives. Everything else fell into te background, marked off as unimportant. The universe could have died around them and neither one of them would have noticed a thing. The song ended and they continued to stare at each other for a few moments before the entire stadium erupted in sound. Just like that, the spell was broken and the crowd went mad. River blushed, burying her face in her hands.

“I hate you.” she repeated, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her into a hug.

“No you don’t.”


End file.
